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I'm so far behind with my reports that it's scary. My life has been so hectic recently that I couldn't get around to writing them up, hopefully I'll have more quiet time at hand soon. In the meantime, a short story about one of the bike and hike Grahams we ticked off in late July.
Carn na Braebaig is usually climbed together with either Aonach Buidhe or An Cruachan, but we decided to do it in a separate outing, simply because the forecast wasn't great, but good enough for a cycling trip with a short jaunt up a single hill.
We parked in Killilan at the end of the public road and planned to cycle up Glen Elchaig to iron Lodge, then climb Càrn na Breabaig using the old stalkers path. We had already biked up and down this glen, when we did
Aonach Buidhe so we knew that the surface is easy enough even for a rubbish cyclist like me on my 15 years old cheap bike.
The early stages are indeed on tarmac which later gives way to more bumpy surface, but the track is well maintained and I enjoyed the cycle in more than expected. There was little chance of the cloud lifting though and we were getting mentally ready for a "cairn in the mist" experience (not the first, not the last!).
On a better day, just exploring Glen Elchaig would be a cracker of a walk, sadly today views were obscured; well, at least there was enough breeze to keep midges and keds away!
Looking back down Glen Elchaig:
Loch na Leitreach:
Iron Lodge and the stalkers path zig-zagging up the north-west side of Carn na Braebaig:
We left the bikes near the lodge and set off up the stalker's path. It turned out to be a track actually, a bit eroded in places but we were making good progress. Shame about the views being so restricted but knowing how capricious Scottish weather could be, we were glad it wasn't raining!
Glen Elchaig from the track above Iron Lodge:
On the track:
The track circles the slopes of the Graham; at the highest point we left it to climb straight up the NE shoulder of "our" hill. On a better day, we'd probably consider a traverse using the Alt na Criche path, but in given circumstances there was no point making it more difficult that in already was.
Into the mist:
The ascent was straightforward if a bit wet. About half way up I discovered that my lightweight walking boots were leaking, but I tried not to complain too much. Kevin admitted that his feet were getting wet, too. What a surreal coincidence.
Reaching the summit meant just another misty experience...
Graham no. 122 (103 for wee Lucy):
The summit has no cairn but a large rock marks the highest spot:
The views we got today... just the electric mist:
We waited on the summit for some time but the only short gap in the cloud lasted maybe five minutes. We noticed the outline of Loch Mhoicean and that was it:
Disappointed with the lack of views and nursing wet feet, we descended the same way we came up, returning to the stalker's path and then back to the bikes. We took time cycling back down Glen Elchaig, enjoying the only view we had today, that of a long and winding track
I can imagine that in good weather Carn na Braebaig would be a cracking viewpoint, sadly we had no chance to experience the good side of it. If I could describe the walking part of our hike in one sentence, I'd use a paraphrased quote from "The Terror":
THIS PLACE WANTS US WET!
In my next story we will at last leave the clag behind and spend a day on a sunny ridge. TR to post soon.
